Recycle Bin, Weel of April 7

Happy spring time (finally!) everybody!  Lots to celebrate this week in addition to the weather.  This weeek is heavy on Italians - and for good reason.  We venture to the spendy side to sample a couple of outstanding Brunellos that, when tasted side-by-side, are like choosing between a Ferrari Italia and a Lamborghini Superleggera.  On the more wallet-friendly side, we've got a super refined Chianti and round it out with a Pinot that drinks at twice its price.  Enjoy!

2008 Picini Villa Al Cortile Brunello di Montalcino Riserva $80(Received as a press sample)
While succulent and accessible now, at this young stage there is so much energy delivering so many different textures and flavors, it's like drinking from a sensory machine gun turned on full automatic.  Still, the window to this wine's stellar future is wide open and the view is promising.  Have a child born in 2008?  This would be a great wine to pick up and lay down.

2009 Picini Villa Al Cortile Brunello di Montalcino $60 (Received as a press sample)
The younger sibling to the riserva above is junior in pedigree alone.  Wow.  Grip, youth, and vigor coiled up like a cobra itching to strike.  This exciting Tasmanian Devil of a wine is spellbinding in its kalaedescope spectrum of exotic flavors.  Shows off intriguing smoke and spice aromatics while remaining true to Brunello's heritage.  Gets better and better as it unwinds in the glass.  Patience is scarce around this wine.  Delicious.  Outstanding.

 
2007 Agricola San Felice Chianti Classico Riserva Il Grigio $24

Don't let this stern-looking chap fool you, this is Chianti at its most elegant. Refined, substantive, and nary a stitch out of place, this example might just justify the meteoric rise in Chianti prices of late. 

2010 Pali Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast "Riviera" $18

This bottle sets the bar high for Pinot with intrigue and brooding sex appeal. That it rings in under the twenty spot makes it all the more remarkable. Smoky, darkly herbaceous, yet proud of fruit backbone. Sharing this was an exercise in will power and selflessness.